


Nothing Better than This

by Stasia



Series: You Never Know [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-20
Updated: 2012-01-20
Packaged: 2017-10-29 20:11:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/323693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stasia/pseuds/Stasia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry's gotten his Hogwarts letter, but he doesn't want to go.  This story comes about ten years after You Never Know ends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nothing Better than This

Nothing Better Than This

Remus turned up the walk and sighed. He was very glad to be home; work had been nothing but small disaster after small disaster and he just wanted to be home with his family.

He found Severus in the kitchen, banging pans on the stove. With a happy sigh, he slid his arms around Severus’ waist and rested his head on the back of Severus’. “Hi,” he whispered.

Severus grunted and pulled away. The kitchen was silent for a moment, then he said, “I told him.”

Remus leaned against the counter. “Ah. Which part?”

Severus braced his hands on the sides of the sink and let his head fall forward. “All of it. Us, the Shack, his… James and Lily. The Dursleys.” He sucked in a breath that sounded suspiciously like a sob and straightened. Remus slid forward and put his hand on Severus’ shoulder. He felt Severus’ cheek lean against it for a minute, but then his lover stepped away. “He’s gone out.”

Remus grimaced, but tugged his jacket back on. “I’ll go talk to him.”

Harry wasn’t in the back garden – it was too small to hide anyone. Remus checked the book shop, the sweets shop and the small games shop before he found Harry sitting on the too-small swings in the local play-park. As he walked up, Harry shot him a glare from under his fringe.

Remus sat down in the other swing and wrapped his fingers around the chain.

Harry’s fingers tightened. “You lied to me,” he snarled.

Remus raised his brows. “I did?”

“Oh, stop it,” Harry snapped. “That act might work on Pop and on Mrs Smithers at the grocers, but I’m not stupid.”

Remus had to look away for a minute, so Harry couldn’t see his smile. In a minute, he asked, “Then why are you refusing an education?”

Harry looked at his feet, digging in the sand under the swings. “I’m not. I can go to the comp, like Reggie. And then uni, after, if you’re so hot on me going to school.”

“You’re a wizard. Reggie’s not. You need a different sort of education than he does.” Remus pushed back and let himself swing forward a bit. “You’re pretty strong, magically, you know.”

“I don’t want to be.” Harry sounded sullen. “It just got my mum and dad killed.”

Remus leaned back a bit and watched birds against the evening sky. “Mmm, yes. There is that. But, well, I don’t know how much of this Severus really told you.” He turned to look directly at Harry. “The person who killed them is still around, still alive.”

Harry jumped. “He is not! Pop said.”

Remus stared at him, watching as Harry deflated slightly. “I know he is. He’s not done with us.”

“How do you know?” Harry’s voice had gone very small.

Remus felt his anger rise, knowing that he couldn’t protect his family enough. “Remember that time with the rat?” At Harry’s nod, he continued, trying to subdue his temper. “That was one of his … people.”

Harry stayed silent, staring first at Remus, then at the sky in his own turn. Finally, he drew in a breath and said, “Pop didn’t let me out of his sight for almost two weeks after that. Why is he willing for me to go now?”

Remus hooked his arms around the chains of the swing so that he could lace his fingers in front of his chest and lean forward. He waited until Harry was looking at him, then said, his voice grave, “He doesn’t know.”

“You haven’t told him?”

Remus blinked slowly.

“You’re protecting him.”

“There are two people in this world I’ll do anything for. He’s first.” Remus heard how harsh his tone was and tried to soften it.

Harry made patterns in the sand with his shoes. “If I go to school, will I learn how to fight? Protect … myself?”

Remus nodded.

“When I’m done, you’ll let me help you find him, right?”

“If you do well enough.” Remus felt a fierce burst of pride at his boy – he’d never thought to have children, hadn’t planned on having this one, but at this moment, he knew no biological parent could be more proud of their child.

Harry stood up and brushed his hands off on his jeans. “We’d better get back. It’s nearly dinner time and Pop’ll be worried.”

As Remus walked next to Harry, listening to him chatter about the things he hoped to learn at school, and the books he wanted to buy beforehand, he felt sure that nothing could ever be better than this. His lover at home, his child growing up … and himself at peace.


End file.
